A quick reminder that we will be holding collections for Nightingale Cancer Trust and the North Enfield Foodbank  during tomorrow’s game against Torquay.

Please give as generously as possible

Lewis Taaffe, often referred to by Town fans as Mr Versatile, has left the club.

Lewis, who first joined in 2018 and scored 19 goals in 160 appearances, has latterly been on a dual registration with Welwyn Garden City but has been very unfortunate with injuries.

 Featuring as a central midfielder, wide forward and as a full-back during his time with us, the hugely popular Taffee, as he was affectionately known, has the distinction of scoring our last goal in the Isthmian Premier as well as our first in Step 2 on the opening day of the season at Torquay – coincidentally tomorrow’s opponents.

We wish Lewis all the best for the rest of his career

One doesn’t need to talk up tomorrow’s home game with Torquay  to realise it’s as big as they come.

With over 400 visiting Gulls likely, we are looking at by far our largest attendance of the season against the best supported team in the league and one with the most prestigious history and stature.

None of us who travelled to Devon for the corresponding fixture on the very first day of the season will ever forget the sense of anticipation for our Step 2 debut. It was the tallest of orders and although no-one likes to lose, coming away with a creditable 2-1 defeat was certainly encouraging given the status of the opposition.

Torquay’s 4-2 midweek defeat of Weston-Super-Mare in a top-of-the-table clash sent them up to third in the league as they bid to regain Step 1 status but Gavin Macpherson is quietly optimistic we can raise our game against full-time opposition who have lost only one in seven in the league but have proved more vulnerable on the road than at home.

Town had a light training session on Thursday following the rigours of Tuesday night and although there were one or two more knocks against Hornchurch, no decision will be made on the Torquay starting line-up until Saturday morning in what is our final home game before Christmas.

“Our form has actually been pretty good of late apart from a mad 15 minutes on Tuesday,” said Gavin.

“I accept that as clubs Torquay and us are chalk and cheese but that doesn’t mean we’re just making up the numbers. We’ve planned and prepared as we always do to try and will get at least something from the game.”

“If you’d told our fans a year ago that we’d be playing Torquay the following season, most of them wouldn’t have believed you. Of course it’s going to be difficult. We’re all still licking our wounds from Tuesday.”

Wheels are still in motion to improve us up front but Gavin is conscious of continuing banging the same drum.

 “I know it’s like a broken record but forwards are extremely difficult to bring in. As soon as they become available everyone is in for them. I’d be an absolute genius if I got all my recruitment right but believe me no stone is being left unturned to add some more quality.”

AW

This is an urgent reminder for supporters not to travel by car to tomorrow’s game against Torquay if at all possible.

Not only will the car park be rammed – partly because of a rugby club event – but there are major roadworks continuing around the local area.

We strongly recommend getting to the game using public transport, on foot, or by bike; or by car-sharing where possible.

Also please try and book your tickets online and in advance since we anticipate large queues at the turnstiles

See this previous post for details:

Fans’ Info: Torquay United (H)

Please read our matchday information ahead of this Saturday’s league match:

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Enfield Town 1 Hornchurch 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

When you give two quick goals away before laying a glove on the opposition, you have a proverbial mountain to climb.

Which is sadly what happened on Tuesday when we played far better overall than when we knocked Hornchurch out of the FA Trophy on penalties 10 days ago yet ultimately left ourselves with too much to do.

Apart from the first 20 minutes, we were arguably the superior team and scored a fantastic goal. But not for the first time we struggled in the final third and missed a great opportunity to climb off the bottom of the table.

Surprisingly given his comments on the morning of the game, Gavin Macpherson went with the same starting lineup as against Dorking but it soon became apparent there were fitness issues.

Dylan Adjei-Hersey tweaked a hamstring in the warmup and was replaced by Mickey Parcell. Then Christian Scott had to come off after 17 minutes and gave way to Billy Leonard — by which time we were already two goals down.

Liam Nash had already shot narrowly wide for the visitors after Christian was punished for holding on to the ball too long when they took the lead on 11 minutes. Christian was again at fault as former Towner Manny Harvest beat him too easily and his effort flew past Rhys Forster via a headed deflection.

Before we could recover, we suffered a second blow four minutes later. Chief Urchins dangerman Myles Weston, who recently joined them from League Two Bromley, put in a great delivery and Nash darted unopposed into the area to head home.

Cue a clearly struggling Scott being replaced by Leonard and two almost became three when another pinpoint Weston assist saw Forster get a hand to Nathan Bertram-Cooper’s header and push it on to the bar.

At the other end, Ruben Shakpoke, seeking his first Town goal but needing to time his runs more effectively, latched on to a ball over the top but fluffed his second touch.

But at least now we were starting to gain a foothold in the game and reduced the deficit on 38 minutes following a good spell of pressure.

Parcell and Sam Youngs exchanged passes and when the former played a gorgeous ball through the heart of the Hornchurch defence, Lennon Peake finished beautifully with a shot across goal (pictured).

With the bit between his teeth, Lennon stung the hands of Mason Terry from long range but Hornchurch were still capable of exploiting our mistakes and Nash went close after Alfie Tuck was dispossessed 35 yards from his own goal.

H-T 1-2

Now the game was finely poised. Parcell flicked out a vital leg to thwart what might easily have been a Hornchurch third but thereafter Town were the side who looked the more likely.

Leonard rode two challenges before lashing over whilst what looked like a clear penalty was waved away as both Peake and Joe Payne seemed to have their legs taken when trying to convert Xavier Benjamin’s cross.

Yet despite pushing for an equaliser, we simply couldn’t find enough movement off the ball or quality in the final and were left to rue that opening period and now have the small matter of Torquay on Saturday.

“The result doesn’t reflect the game in any shape or form,” said a clearly frustrated Gavin. “It reflects maybe the first 15 minutes when we never got out of the traps.”

“I’m absolutely seething because the better team has lost and we’ve contributed to our own downfall by gifting them two goals. Their bench were clock-watching for the last 15 minutes. But unlike at step 3 when you can be two goals down and come back and win the game, at this level teams are much better at what they do.”

Gavin conceded we must start to offer more of a threat going forward. “I’m fed up with saying it but I’m working my socks off trying to address this. I know it’s not even halfway through the season but I’m not going down that road. Points are just as important now as they are in April and we need them.”

Town

Forster; Benjamin, Thompson, Cox; Parcell (Hutchinson 87), Scott (Leonard 17), Tuck, Youngs (Whittaker, 93), Payne; Peake, Shakpoke (Beckles-Richards 60)

Following Saturday’s excellent point at Dorking, the games come thick and fast and it’s Hornchurch at home tonight as we try and maintain our slowly improving form (ko 7.45).

No two games are the same and having knocked Hornchurch out on penalties in the FA Trophy, it’s all about league points this time and the chance to move two places up the table with a win.

Dorking’s 7-1 thrashing of Hemel Hempstead on Monday showed just how creditable our draw at the weekend was but don’t necessarily expect an unchanged team because of the demands on the players.

 “What nobody sees after games as that we get stats on every player and we see how  hard and far they are running,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“Since I joined as manager, Saturday was the most running everyone has ever done. You have to look at the impact of that as well as playing on a 3G pitch. It’s something I have to consider in terms of whether I will get the same work rate.

“Quite naturally people may assume same team. But it’s not as easy as that. It’s a massively hard week, starting with Dorking and finishing with Torquay. The trophy win over Hornchurch will have no bearing on tonight. They’ll probably be expecting three points so we have to be up for it.”

Meanwhile, with the Torquay game fast approaching, you are advised to buy your tickets online in advance so as not to miss out.

It is also advisable where possible to travel by public transport as we are expecting a huge crowd well in excess of four figures. The car park is likely to fill up very quickly so if you have to drive, please leave as much time as possible.

AW

Part of our sponsorship packages to all of our sponsors is the opportunity for them to offer Enfield Town members a discount off of their services or products. We already know from discussions with sponsors that this is an opportunity some members have already taken advantage of, but just to remind you all, these are the existing sponsors offering incentives.

In the last few weeks, we have also signed up several new sponsors and more details about the offers they will make to members will be published in the coming weeks.

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SPONSORS OFFERING THESE DISCOUNTS INCLUDE:

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If you know of any local company who may be interested in sponsoring Enfield Town, please ask them to email commercial@etfc.london, or speak to Graham Dodd on a match day.

We have sponsorship brochures to share detailing all of our packages, including match day options which start at just £100.00.

Dorking Wanderers 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

In constant wind-swept rain swirling horizontally, Enfield Town defied the filthy conditions to pick up only their fourth away point of the season in a gutsy performance in Surrey.

Sam Youngs’ equaliser early in the second half may not have moved us off the bottom of the table but with the three teams above us all losing it closed to the gap as well as extending our unbeaten record to three games in all competitions.

That may not seem much on paper given two of them were draws and one won on a penalty shootout but it was the latest example of the green shoots of a slow but significant improvement — against a side, let’s not forget, who spent two seasons at step 1 and are trying to get back there.

With both our Welsh youth internationals back in the side, Town threatened first on the artificial surface with a low, driven shot from the edge of the box by Alfie Tuck that zipped just wide of Harrison Foulkes’ left-hand post.

From then on, Dorking took control by dominating possession and putting in a series of dangerous crosses, particular down our right flank.

 That said, a combination of poor finishing and excellent protective work by our back three – each  of whom put in a marathon shift — meant Rhys Forster  was not unduly troubled.

Having weathered the proverbial early storm, we started to get on the ball and show more adventure, exemplified by a Lennon Peake 20-yard drive forward before he was fouled.

But on 37 minutes  we fell behind as George Francomb’s freekick was nodded home by Alfie Rutherford though it looked to most of us like an own goal from Christian Scott.

Just before halftime came a pivotal moment in the game when the referee ignored Dorking screams for a penalty after Tony Craig when down while challenging for a bouncing ball in our area.

It could have gone either way but we’ve seen loads of decisions go against us this season and it meant we were very much still in the game at the interval

H-T 0-1

We needed to be braver on the ball and whatever was said at halftime, that’s exactly how we re-emerged. More intent, more purpose.

It immediately paid dividends when Peake’s left-wing cross fell to Sam Youngs who struck a far-post volley to level the score (pictured)

As the conditions worsened, so the need for concentration intensified and further clear-cut opportunities were hard to come by though Dorking regained the momentum by pushing us back.

Jake Hutchinson, Billy leonard and Mickey Parcell all came off the bench to add fresh legs but with the minutes ticking away, that familiar feeling of a last-gasp opposition goal was never far from the minds of the Town faithful tucked in a distinctly unimpressive shack-like away corner.

But this was one occasion when we got what we deserved, a tribute to all concerned and, as Gavin Macpherson made a point of stressing afterwards, especially to those fans who braved the wretched weather to help us preserve as point.

“Conditions were atrocious on an unfamiliar surface at one of the biggest teams in the league,” said Gavin who changed system during the game from two up top to one up and three behind in order to engage Dorking’s defenders more effectively.

“We were never going to have the lion’s share of possession and set out largely to frustrate them. There are different ways you can achieve results and discipline is one them. I was very angry with their goal  because we’d told the boys what to expect just a minute before the freekick was taken. We sunk a bit in the first half but halftime gave us a chance to get up the pitch which made Dorking less comfortable in possession.”

So could this be a springboard?

“I think to be fair the springboard started few weeks ago and what you are seeing now is a gradual progression even though the top end of the pitch is still obviously still an issue,” added Gavin.

Forster; Cox, Thompson, Benjamin; Payne, Tuck (Leonard 72), Youngs, Scott, Adjei-Hersey (Parcell 86); Peake, Shakpoka (Hutchinson 65)

After squeezing into the third round of the FA Trophy, it’s back to the nitty gritty of league action tomorrow when we travel to Dorking Wanderers under no illusions about the strength of the opposition.

While there have been definite signs of improvement in our recent fixtures despite being rooted to the foot of the table, Dorking represent a formidable challenge having played back-to-back seasons at Step 1 before being relegated back to National League South last April ahead of the current campaign.

Beaten only once at home in the league, Dorking, celebrating their 25th anniversary, are once again genuine promotion candidates and Gavin Macpherson has nothing but praise for how they have steadily climbed up the non-league pyramid in such a short space of time.

“You have to acknowledge that they have done an unbelievable job under Mark White,” said Gav. “To come from where they were and be at Step 1 for a couple of seasons is incredible. Of course you need to be well-financed to achieve what they have but that doesn’t guarantee success. It’s a massive story, in some ways not too dissimilar to ours, and you have to take your hat off to them. I fancied them at the start of the season as one of those who could win the league given the calibre of player they have.  We’ve got a hell of a task on our hands.”

With both Dan Cox and Alfie Tuck available again after international duty with Wales under-19 and two or three of our injured players undergoing light training on Thursday, Gavin is hoping for a competitive squad to choose from in front of what is likely to be a four-figure crowd.

“We’ve had to make changes, everyone knows that, and are still one or two players short which I’m working tirelessly to address. But I have a team around me who are fighting like mad.”

“I’m realistic about where we are and what we need to put right. But I don’t like losing football matches and I certainly feel I have enough experience around me that when we get the balance right, we’ve got more than a fighting chance.”

AW

ticket info, directions etc below:

https://dwfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/enfield